The field of this invention relates to tools and more particularly to a tool which facilitates the picking of fruit from trees and which does not require the user to use a ladder but can pick the fruit while standing on the ground.
Fruit trees, such peach trees, apple trees and orange trees normally reach a height of fifteen to twenty feet from the ground. When the fruit becomes ripe, it is necessary to pick the fruit from the trees.
In commercial fruit picking operation, there may be utilized tree shaking equipment which will cause the fruit to be separated from the tree and thereby be collected. However, an average homeowner, who has just a few fruit trees, will find it impractical to invest in such tree shaking equipment. This means that the individual must pick the fruit from the tree, not only in the lower branches of the tree, but from the upper branches as well.
The normal method of picking fruit from the upper portion of the tree is to use a ladder. Using a ladder makes it very difficult to get into the interior portion of the tree to pick the fruit. Also, it is necessary for the user to be constantly moving the ladder about the tree. Additionally, because the terrain may not be completely level or can be soft due to moisture, the use of a ladder can be inherently dangerous. Ladder accidents are common occurrences when such are used to pick fruit.
Previously there have been attempts at constructing a fruit picking device. However, in the past, such fruit picking devices generally incorporate some type of a cutting means which is movable to accomplish the cutting action. Inherently, such fruit picking devices are complex in construction. In turn, such complexity significantly increases manufacturing costs, therefore causing such fruit picking devices to be expensive.